When to Have a Baby
1. Today we are going to be learning about the best time to have a baby, and how you can help keep both you and your baby healthy. Let’s get started. needed here 2. Having a baby can sometimes be dangerous, both for the mother and the baby. Each year many mothers and their babies die during childbirth. Many of these deaths can be prevented. needed here 3. It is important that you know what can cause these deaths, so you can try to reduce the risks to both you and your baby. needed here 4. Now, try to answer this question, using the buttons on the controller. needed here 5. Can pregnancy and childbirth be a dangerous time for mother and baby? needed here 6. Press the up arrow if you think Yes needed here 7. Or press the down arrow if you think No. needed here 8. Press a button now. needed here 9. Yes. It is important to know how to reduce the risks to both mother and baby. needed here 10. There are many reasons why some pregnancies and births are more difficult than others. Problems are often caused by women having a baby when they are too young. Some girls have babies when they are too young. needed here 11. Your body is not fully ready to have a baby until you are about eighteen years old or older. needed here 12. Babies who are born to mothers younger than eighteen are more likely to be born too early, and are more likely to die within the first year of life. needed here 13. The risks to the mother are also greater if she is younger than eighteen. Having a baby when younger than 18 is especially risky. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 14. How old should you be before having your first baby? needed here 15. At least 15 years old, needed here 16. or at least 18 years old? needed here 17. Press a button now. needed here 18. That’s right. Having a baby before you are 18 can cause both you and the baby health problems. needed here 19. When a girl becomes a woman, her body goes through many changes. needed here 20. When a woman becomes pregnant her body again has to go through lots of changes. needed here 21. It is important to give girls time to let their body change into a woman before they become a mother. needed here 22. Now try to answer this question. needed here 23. Should a girl be given time to become a woman before she becomes pregnant? needed here 24. Yes needed here 25. or No needed here 26. Press a button now. needed here 27. That’s right, it is best to wait until a girl is at least 18 before having a baby. needed here 28. As well as having babies too young, having them when you are too old can also create many problems for both the baby and the mother. needed here 29. In general, if you are older than 35 you should try not to get pregnant. needed here 30. If you are over 35 and have already had four or more children it is wise not to get pregnant again. Another pregnancy could be a serious risk to both your health, and to your unborn child. needed here 31. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 32. If you are over 35 should you think very carefully before having another baby? needed here 33. Yes needed here 34. or No? needed here 35. Press a button now. needed here 36. That’s right. Try not to get pregnant if you are over 35, especially if you already have 4 or more children. needed here 37. Remember that you shouldn’t start to have babies until you are at least eighteen years old. needed here 38. If you have already had a baby, and you want to have another one, wait until your first baby is at least 2 years old. needed here 39. If you then want another baby always wait until the youngest child is at least two years old. needed here 40. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 41. If you already have a child, how old should he or she be before you become pregnant again? needed here 42. 1 year old needed here 43. Or 2 years old? needed here 44. Press a button now. needed here 45. That’s right. Your youngest child should be at least 2 years old before you get pregnant again. needed here 46. Waiting until the youngest child is at least two years old is very important. needed here 47. It gives you enough time to look after your first child before the next one arrives. It also allows your body time to recover from the first pregnancy. needed here 48. A mother’s body needs two years to recover from a pregnancy. Waiting two years will let a mother get her strength back before getting pregnant again. needed here 49. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 50. How long does it take for a mother’s body to recover from being pregnant? needed here 51. 1 year needed here 52. or 2 years? needed here 53. Press a button now. needed here 54. Yes, it takes 2 years to get all your strength back. needed here 55. Each time you have a baby, your body becomes weak, and you need time to get strong again. needed here 56. After a woman has had four children, her body can become very weak during pregnancy. This will bring greater risks to both the life and health of mother and child. needed here 57. This is especially true if the mother is older than 35. Remember after four children another pregnancy could be dangerous for both you and the baby. needed here 58. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 59. If you are over 35 and already have 4 children, should you have another baby? needed here 60. Yes needed here 61. or No? needed here 62. Press a button now. needed here 63. That’s right. It could be dangerous for both the mother and the unborn baby. needed here 64. We have learnt that you should not become pregnant if you are younger than eighteen, or older than 35. needed here 65. Also you should try to limit the number of children you have to four. After four children the risks become much greater. needed here 66. To make sure that you do not get pregnant, you and your partner should consider ‘Family Planning’. needed here 67. Family planning gives couples the choice of when to begin having children, how many to have, how far apart, and when to stop. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 68. Does ‘family planning’ give you the choice of when to have children? needed here 69. Yes needed here 70. or No? needed here 71. Press a button now. needed here 72. Yes. You will be able to decide when and how many children to have. needed here 73. Most health clinics or hospitals can provide methods of safe and effective family planning. needed here 74. Don’t leave childbirth to chance. Talk about it with your partner, and visit the local health clinic to get advice about the best family planning for you. needed here 75. Now, try to answer this question, needed here 76. Where can you find out about the best family planning for you? needed here 77. Ask a neighbour, needed here 78. or Go to the clinic. needed here 79. Press a button now. needed here 80. That’s right, there are several methods of family planning and the clinic will be able to help you decide which is best for you. needed here 81. Remember: It is good to leave at least 2 years between having one child and having the next one. needed here 82. Try to avoid becoming pregnant before the age of 18 and after the age of 35. This can help ensure that each baby is born healthy and strong. needed here 83. Find out about ways to plan when you want to have your babies. It is a good idea not to have more than four children. needed here 84. Now, try to answer this question. needed here 85. If you plan when to have children, will you reduce the risk of health problems? needed here 86. Yes needed here 87. or No? needed here 88. Press a button now. needed here 89. That’s right. Planning your pregnancies will help reduce the health risks to you and your children. needed here 90. That was the wrong answer. Let’s go back and listen again. needed here 91. Sorry! Wrong answer. needed here 92. Hello. The title of this lesson is “ When to have a baby ”. To begin, press the arrow pointing to the right. After you have finished this lesson the arrow pointing down will take you to the quiz. To listen again press the middle button. needed here 93. You’ve now finished the lesson. Well done! Now press the arrow pointing down to play the quiz and try to win a gold star! needed here 94. Correct! needed here 95. “When to have a baby”. needed here